The Surprising Symptom of Depression- Anger and Irritability

The Surprising Symptom of Depression- Anger and Irritability

Discover how depression can manifest as anger and irritability—learn to recognize and manage these symptoms to improve emotional well-being and relationships.
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Media portrays the depressed person as struggling to get out of bed, crying, drowning in despair. And while sadness is indeed a key symptom of depression, it’s not the only way it shows up. Anger or irritability is actually one of the primary ways that depression shows up in children and teens. But that anger doesn’t just turn off when you turn 18. So, today we’re going to peel back the layers and explore how depression manifests as anger and irritability.

Irritability and Anger are Symptoms of Depression
Depression isn’t just feeling sad, it’s a whole-body experience that can impact every aspect of your life. Symptoms include losing pleasure in activities, changes in appetite or sleep, and often feeling sad, empty or hopeless. But researchers estimate that 30-40% of people experience rage or anger as part of their depression. Sometimes these emotions can be so overpowering that one researcher calls them “Anger attacks” he relates them to panic attacks. Other research showed that of 500 people with depression, over half of them experienced anger attacks, but that when they received treatment, like antidepressant medication, that anger subsided for the majority of them.

Another long-term study found anger is associated with more severe or chronic depression, higher rates of substance abuse, and it’s also linked to familial bipolar disorder.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/04/689747637/if-youre-often-angry-or-irritable-you-may-be-depressed
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1737169
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10418810/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10418810
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9840194
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7988746/

00:00 Intro
01:52 Five Reasons Why Depression Might Show Up As Anger
06:51 What to do When Depression Shows up as Anger or Irritability
10:18 Depression is Treatable

Click the link below to access the transcript:

The Surprising Symptom Of Depression: Anger And Irritability

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life’s direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

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